Racing down the dusty stone steps, Vexyna brushed past a large gray and white stripped cat. “Hello, cat,” she said as she passed the sizeable ball of hair on her way into the center of the room below the altar room.
There were no signs of other humans or any other animate creature. Turning back to the cat, who was rubbing its head at the base of the stairs now, Vexyna hesitantly asked, “Are you Alexdander, S.B.C.?”
“Do you see anyone else around?” the cat asked.
“No,” replied Vexyna.
“Draw your own conclusions,” responded the cat flatly.
“You are Alexdander,” Vexyna concluded with a nod.
“Shooting star swift, you are,” Alexdander cracked.
“Why, you sarcastic little fuzz ball,” Vexyna seethed. “And I use the term ‘little’ very loosely. You must weigh at least twenty pounds.”
“Weight means nothing when you are a master of gravity,” purred Alexdander. “But I shall accept your compliment.”
“And you’re a master of gravity? You must be to lug that gut around,” Vexyna remarked.
“Your first lesson was going to be history, but now I think it had better be languages,” the cat mused.
“History? Languages? I thought you were going to teach me magic.”
“Magic comes in many forms, Vexyna. You must learn to recognize it. Communication is a key to understanding. The better your ability to communicate, the greater your understanding and thus the greater your ability to apply knowledge. It is one thing to learn any given topic. It is quite another to be able to apply what you have learned. Harder still is the ability to incorporate the whole of what you have learned into your being so it becomes second nature to you. Communication should happen unconsciously with no barriers or hesitation to slow the flow of knowledge.”
“And here I thought all cats could say was ‘meow’.” Vexyna was impressed with Alexdander’s clear and precise diction and enunciation.
“Let’s start there then,” said Alexdander. “Cats say more than just ‘meow’. As a matter of fact, cats aren’t even saying ‘meow’. They are saying ‘nee-ah-oo’, which is sort of a polite ending to what they are saying. Typically, humans only hear the end of what a cat has to say and completely miss the important bits.”
“I don’t get it,” Vexyna admitted.
“It would be like you saying to me, ‘I’m hungry. Would you please get me something to eat? Now, please’. And all you hear is the ‘now please’.”
“Are the vocal patterns of most cats out of the range of human hearing?”
“No,” replied Alexdander. “Cats rarely use their voices unless they’re around humans. Even then, it’s pointless.”
“Dander,” Vexyna started to say, but was halted by the absolute flatness of Alexdander’s eyebrows. “Is that too informal for your liking? Alexdander is just too long.”
“I suppose it could be worse,” Alexdander conceded.
Thinking of Cateran, Vexyna said, “Yes, I could’ve latched onto ‘Dandy’ as a name for you. I have a friend who would do that.”
“Undoubtedly, you are referring to the young Vag girl,” Alexdander said as he took an interest in his right forepaw. “She would keep trying to pick me up and carry me all over, wouldn’t she? She seems the type.”
“How would you know?” Vexyna was curious. “Have you met her?”
“I have had occasion to observe both of you,” the cat informed Vexyna. “When I saw you, and what I saw, is of little significance in comparison to how I saw you. That explanation will come later. We must concentrate on the lesson at hand: communication.”
“If cats don’t talk as much as you claim, how do they get their ideas across?”
“Talking isn’t the only way to communicate.” Alexdander was now busy cleaning his left shoulder. Between licks, he added, “Cats use their whole bodies to communicate. We even go so far as to imitate other animals humans know in order to make it easier for the humans to understand what we are trying to say.”
“Cats do impressions? Is that what you’re saying?” Vexyna was amused. “Would you please give me an example of a cat impression?”
“Here’s an easy one: you see a cat whose tail is whipping about ferociously. Its ears are perched back on its head like horns. That is a sign the cat is saying, ‘I’m a bull ready to charge, so don’t make me see red’.”
“Aren’t you going to show me? Or don’t you do impressions?” Vexyna smirked.
Ears cocked, tail swishing, Alexdander’s eyes rolled back to one side as he sighed, “Oh, look at me. I am a fierce and vicious cat.” He stated it flatly and precisely.
Vexyna couldn’t help but laugh. “I have never met such a sarcastic being in all my travels.”
“That’s why they call me ‘Alexdander, S.B.C.’,” replied Alexdander. He was now stretched out on his side.
“I get the ‘S’ and the ‘C’. Those are ‘sarcastic’ and ‘cat’. But I don’t know what ‘B’ is.”
“I’m sure it’ll come to you in time,” Alexdander said with a smile. He stretched his frame and Vexyna was amazed at the size of him.
“Your body alone, from the top of your head to the edge of your butt, is at least fifty centimeters long. Alexdander, you are one big cat.”
The cat rose on its twenty-five-centimeter-high legs and said, “You’re pretty tall for a girl, aren’t you? I bet you get asked more for weather reports than out on dates.”
“Must you be insulting?” Vexyna wasn’t impressed.
“How was I insulting? What I said could’ve been interpreted in two different ways. Perception is the key to understanding. View things from all perspectives before deciding on a course of action or reaction.”
They were walking slowly through the bare stone chamber from where the stone steps led down from the altar room. The room’s walls were yellow and dusty, and bits of rock mixed with crumbled pieces of chalky wall lay in various spots about the floor.
As there wasn’t much to see in the room, Vexyna kept looking down at her dusty leather boots while they walked. “Are you going to point out a different way of looking at what you said?”
Alexdander stopped in front of a wall. Before them stood a large stone circle that had been added somehow to the face of the wall. Assuming the number one classic pose for cats, seated with tail wrapped around the feet, Alexdander unfurled his lesson. “We were making size comparisons. You said I was a big cat. I said that you were a tall girl.”
“Why’d you throw in the crack about weather reports?”
“It was an attempt to point out the usefulness of your stature. Isn’t it better to be able to see greater distances than it is to spend time on frivolous activities?”
“Dating never struck me as an option.”
“You are not whole, Vexyna. But soon you will be.” Alexdander was seated in front of the stone circle on the wall. The circle was raised thirty centimeters from the floor. It was flat with barely discernable markings on its surface. “This circle is the entrance to one means of fast learning. Through here, you can experience many things simultaneously. Were it not for your steadiness of character, it would be overwhelming to your psyche. But that is part of what makes you special. Your lack of passion, as you put it, can be your greatest asset.”
Alexdander got up and pressed his forehead into a small indentation at the bottom of the circle. Grinding stone shook the room as the circle split into two perfect halves that continued to move apart until they came to rest at either end of the wall. The circle had revealed an iridescent, multi-colored triangle that changed color as it rippled. “Absorb that which you are confronted with once you enter the triangle. We will talk it over when you return.”
“Where will you be?”
“Right here. You don’t need me for this. Besides, I’m late for my nap. And I’d only be a distraction. Believe me, you don’t need any more of those where you’re going.”
“Fine,” said Vexyna as she turned away from Alexdander
and walked through the undulating triangle. She felt herself dropping as she passed through the opening.
Once on the other side of the hole, Vexyna found herself floating inside a dimly lit room filled with stars.
An image of Alexdander’s head popped up in front of Vexyna, making her push herself back. The image was huge. It appeared to be over two hundred centimeters wide. His eyes were closed and it looked as if he was grinning. “Hello!” he said rather loudly.
Cupping her hands to her ears, Vexyna said, “Not so loud.”
“Sorry,” replied the cat at a lower volume. “Is this better? Good.” He disappeared.
Above her, Vexyna saw a re-enactment of the battle between Dazartan and Dacreel. Below her lay the planet on which she resided. She witnessed the birth of the people and the continents of the planet. Historic images marched swiftly past Vexyna. Empires rose and fell before her eyes. Only towards the end, or so it seemed, was there a tiny bit about a fire. Vexyna found it odd the Great Fire played such an insignificant part of her history lesson.
Her father appeared before her. She saw images of women around him. They appeared to be Vexyna’s mother and grandmother. Specters of all of them danced around Vexyna as they wove their tale. One impression melted into the next as Vexyna took in her own birth. Right after Vexyna entered the world, her mother was banished from the village for her father’s apparent murder. Vexyna felt as though she should be moved by her mother’s plight. Thoughts of separation, loneliness and desperation going through her mother’s mind stirred little to nothing within Vexyna.
The triangular gateway reopened and Vexyna floated towards it. She exited the star-filled room and returned to regular gravity.
Alexdander was sprawled out patiently waiting. At least, that’s what he looked like. In fact, he was happily snoozing.
“Hey!” Vexyna shouted rather abruptly at Alexdander. “Dander, I’m back.”
Opening one eye, the cat shot back, “Bigger and louder than ever.” Stretching followed yawning, which lea to more stretching. “If you insist on calling me ‘Dander’, I shall insist on calling you ‘Nah’.” He extended his tongue to its fullest as he spoke the moniker. Alexdander was on his feet. “Did you learn anything, Nah? Come to any realizations, Nah?”
“There wasn’t much about the Great Fire in the history lessons. It was only briefly touched on towards the end of the dramatization.”
“No. Nor was there anything about the Vags and the Illusians or the betrayal of Exuthron by Syngrine and Max Fast. How it blackened the purest of hearts and gave Dacreel a real foothold on this plane.”
“What happened?” Vexyna asked.
“Syngrine was the companion of Exuthron. Together, they spawned the Kingdom of Illusia. But when the Illusians began using the Crystals of Change, they themselves began to change. Their lust grew. This growth in lust extended to all the citizens of Illusia, including the queen: Syngrine. When Exuthron’s brother, Max Fast, happened to visit while Exuthron was off on a noble sojourn, Syngrine seized the opportunity to fulfill her lust. Disgraced, Syngrine and Max Fast were forced to abandon Illusia and become wanderers. The children from that joining became the Vags.”
Turning what she had just heard over in her head, Vexyna commented, “Then my friends, Phanta and Cat, are really sisters.”
“Sort of, but not really,” Alexdander corrected. “They are related. Of that you can be certain. Don’t forget this all happened over a great many years.”
“Quite a bit went on before the Great Fire took place two hundred and fifty years ago. It looked like thousands of years.”
“There were thousands of years of civilization between the fall of the gods and the Great Fire. Give or take half a dozen millennia.” Alexdander walked towards another wall of the dusty, yellow room.
“What about my grandfather? Where does he figure into all of this?”
“Your grandfather is boring,” stated the cat nonchalantly.
“Boring? Why boring?”
“Your grandparents are the purest incarnation of Dazartan. They are twin souls who rejoice in and of themselves.”
“What does that mean, exactly?” Vexyna asked with furrowed brow.
“They love each other more than anyone or anything else. It’s sickening at times.”
“So they’ve never fooled around on each other?”
“Never. Hence, your grandfather is boring. He chronicles events and keeps his eye on things, but other than that he doesn’t do much. Qrxyn only steps in when it is absolutely necessary or someone asks for his help. Your grandmother, Zuud-Akh’Du, likes to travel and visit ancient places. She is much more interesting.”
“How much more interesting?”
“It is rumored she has read every book or line ever written.”
“Whoa.” Vexyna let out her breath slowly. “That’s a lot of reading. Is that how she gained her magical abilities?”
“Magic is inherent in all things, Nah. To use it, you must be aware of the laws of the universe. Once you know how to work within those boundaries, anything is possible.” He stopped at a wall running perpendicular to the one that had held the triangular portal. A plain wooden door held to its frame by rusty hinges greeted them on this particular wall. “We shall continue in this next room. Please open the door.”
Grime and filth came away from the doorknob as Vexyna gave it a quick twist. It was a gleaming white porcelain knob that seemed quite incongruent with the dilapidated condition of the rest of the door. Surprisingly, the door opened smoothly and easily. Wiping her hands together to rid herself of the mess from the doorknob, Vexyna walked through the doorway.
Following closely, Alexdander said, “Use more than your eyes to inform you of what is going on around you. Just because your eyes report to your brain that something is so, does not necessarily mean that it is true.”
“How was I supposed to detect dirt on a doorknob when I couldn’t see it?”
“You might’ve been able to smell it, if you had tried.”
“Smell it? Are you kidding?” Tentatively, Vexyna brought her hands to her nose. A short breath was followed quickly by her yanking her hands away from her face. Wrinkling her nose, she added, “Okay, I don’t know how I could’ve missed that odor.”
“Your eyes told you there was nothing on the doorknob. That caused your nose to ignore the possibility of smells emanating from it. Your senses were told to concentrate elsewhere, away from the doorknob.”
On the floor in the center of the small room were two woven mats. Alexdander took his place on one of the mats and indicated that Vexyna should be seated on the other.
Vexyna knelt on the mat and stretched her arms over her head in order to stretch her back.
Facing Vexyna, Alexdander sat once again in classic cat pose number one. “Welcome to ‘Universal Laws one-oh-one’,” he said with an obvious grin. “This class examines the causes and effects of actions from a universal perspective.”
“That sounds big,” Vexyna punned without realizing.
Eyebrows flattened, Alexdander continued, “Rules of conduct for any sentient being within the universe vary depending upon the plane of existence they happen to occupy. Free will plays a large role in the applicability of the Universal Laws.”
“Give me a moment to absorb that, please,” Vexyna said as her own eyebrows knitted. She thought for a bit. “Nope. Can’t get it. What do you mean?”
“Sentient beings, those capable of feeling and understanding, are only allowed a limited amount of movement on certain planes of existence. On this particular plane, the being who knows how can wield great power.” His right ear suddenly became extremely itchy, so he stopped a moment to scratch it. “Here is something to remember: just because one may wield great power does not mean one is a great power. Do what you do with love and humility. Keep your ego and your selfishness locked away.”
“Love and humility? What does this have to do with defying gravity or other bits of magic?”
> Alexdander had started to clean the pads on the underside of his right forepaw. He looked up from where he had his face buried in the massive paw in order to say, “I’m trying to teach you how to use the most powerful magic, but I am also preparing you for your future. Thinking you’re better than others only leads to sorrow. Helping others increases universal power. The imposition of one’s own will over another sentient being is the most heinous of crimes.”
“Telling people what to do is a sin?” Vexyna wondered.
“Telling people, as in making suggestions as to one or another course of actions, what to do isn’t necessarily bad,” replied Alexdander as he finished his paw grooming. Placing the paw back on the mat, he continued, “Making other people involuntarily do what you want is bad. Each being was created to find its own course in its own way.”
“This is a lot deeper than just getting some incantations or rituals,” Vexyna commented.
“There’s more at stake here than amazing your friends and neighbors with a few parlor tricks,” Alexdander said sternly. “Here’s the condensed version of what you need to know: Influencing people to help themselves is fine. Ordering or persuading people is wrong. Go about your business and let others do likewise. Just because you might like to have what you are doing happen to you, doesn’t mean the person you are doing it to will appreciate the action. Act without malice or ego. Keep the number of times you say ‘me’ to a minimum. ‘Me’ merely stands for ‘my ego’.”
“Okay, I think I’ve grasped that part. What else?”
“The universe is constantly in motion on both a large and small scale. A being who is at one with the universe is also constantly in motion, whether that motion is internal or external. Momentum built up by an individual will be mirrored by the universe.”
“Start something moving and the cosmos will help it stay in motion?”
“Yes, if that movement is helpful for all concerned. At times, obstacles arise that seem insurmountable, but this is where concentration, focus and perseverance are essential to keeping the momentum.”
“I thought the universe helped once something was set in motion. Now you’re telling me that isn’t the case?”
“No, I am clarifying that whatever you set in motion may come in conflict with something else that someone else has set in motion. When this happens, it is the determination of the individual that keeps whatever they have set in motion in motion. The more one concentrates on achieving or doing something, the more the cosmos will get behind that motivation.”
“How can anyone summon enough focus to keep things going when there are other forces at work against them?”
“The first key is that you must be doing something that will benefit more than just yourself.”
“Din has amassed an army and is throwing all of Antasta into chaos. How did she achieve all that? She obviously isn’t doing it to make things better for everyone.”
“Din is motivated by other means. Control is something she craves, I’d say. She takes genuine pleasure in what she is doing. That is another key element of getting what you want. Do what you like. If you are doing something you don’t like doing, you won’t keep doing it. It is easier to find inward momentum when you are concentrating on something you truly enjoy. Haven’t you ever noticed how time drags on and on whenever you are doing something you dislike? Yet, at other times, time flies by in an instant when you are involved in an activity you are enjoying immensely?”
“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
“Yes, it does. Nothing says incredible momentum like flying time.”
“Okay, if time flies by, how do we find the time necessary to achieve what we want to accomplish?”
“There is always enough time. Time is fluid and relative. From a human perspective, think about this: doesn’t time seem to move differently depending on which side of the bathroom door you are on when someone else is on the other side? If you are the one waiting to get in, the time drags.”
“Yes, but, if time goes by too quickly, how can we accomplish everything we want to?”
“You have missed the point. You can fill your time or you can waste your time. The choice is up to you.”
“Are there any keys to filling more time than wasting it?”
“I’m glad you asked.” Alexdander grinned. “The key to filling time is to concentrate on what is happening in the moment.”
Vexyna stared at the cat blankly. “Huh?”
“Humans spend far too much of their time thinking about either the past or the future. This is an incredible waste of time. It is important to learn from the past, but it is devastating to dwell on it. What’s done is done. It cannot be changed. There is no point going over it again and again. Take whatever lessons can be learned and move on.”
“So, remembering a good time is a waste of energy?”
“Remembering a good time is all right as long as the memory doesn’t drag on too long. Likewise, going over a painful memory over and over will only cause heartache and waste more time.”
“What about looking at the future?”
“The future hasn’t happened yet. You can’t live there. Again, it is fine to consider the future; just don’t spend too much time thinking about it.”
“Then it isn’t important to set goals or figure out which way one is going?”
“You confuse easily, don’t you?”
“I’m trying to get a grip on what you’re saying.”
“Do all things in moderation. Learn from the past, but don’t try to live there. Plan for the future, but don’t try to live there either. Make the most of your time by living in the present moment. By really paying attention to the present moment, you will get the most out of it. You will discover you have all the time you need to accomplish what you want.”
“I think I understand now.”
“That’s pretty much it. Universal Law is pretty simple, yet most beings cannot get it. In front of your mat, you will be able to remove the floor tiles.”
Kneeling forward, Vexyna prised up the loose tiles in front of her mat. Under the tiles, she spotted a small wooden box, bound on either end by two metal bands. Placing the box in front of Alexdander, Vexyna asked, “How are we supposed to get it open?”
Alexdander reared his head back and spewed forth flames that engulfed the chest. When the flames subsided, the bands binding the box were nowhere to be seen. “It isn’t locked,” he said casually.
Opening the box, Vexyna found a number of scrolls. Each scroll was carefully bound by a different color of ribbon. Picking one of them up, she asked, “What are these?”
“Those would be scrolls,” answered the cat, living up to his name.
Vexyna unraveled one of the scrolls and peered at the writing contain thereon. “I can’t read these symbols.”
“You haven’t centered yourself. Relax and let your mind flow freely. Then try to read the scroll.”
Taking a couple of deep breaths, Vexyna relaxed. She closed her eyes and emptied her mind. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and let them rest gently on the symbols on the scroll. “These scrolls are still unreadable.”
Alexdander explained, “Keep in mind you can only use them when your mind is calm and clear. Otherwise, you can’t even read what’s on the page.”
Gathering the seven scrolls from the box, Vexyna placed each in its own ring of fabric inside the lining of her cloak. “Thanks. What am I supposed to do here?”
“This is where you will learn to focus your will. You must take some time to train your mind in order to focus your thoughts. Keeping a balanced head has been easy for you up until now because you have had your passion bound. Soon, your passion will be unbound and you will have to be able to control it. Stretch out here and relax. Free your mind of all thoughts.”
Vexyna knelt on her mat and tried to banish all thoughts from her head. It proved harder than she had anticipated. A train of thought always seemed to be departing from the platform of her mind. She
found the harder she tried to push thoughts out of her head, the more they flooded in. It dawned on her that she was trying too hard. Her mind narrowed on a single musical tone. She thought only about the sound of the musical tone to the exclusion of all other thoughts. Suddenly, she felt as if she was floating. The realization of the feeling caused her to sink back to the ground. Vexyna opened her eyes. Her mind felt clearer than it had ever felt before. She felt rested in mind, body and spirit. “That was pleasant,” she commented.
“Inside this room, you will learn to look inside and far outside,” stated Alexdander as he continued his lesson.
“Far outside?” Vexyna questioned before something dawned on her. “Is that how you were able to spy on Cateran and me?”
“Is it Cateran you wish to see?” the cat asked, without giving any notice of Vexyna’s query. “You’re not the only one being shown the skills they hold within,” Alexdander purred at Vexyna. “Close your eyes and think of your friend.”
Vexyna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Darkness greeted her. Soon, the inky veil lifted and she was able to see Cateran.
Four-meter-high gleaming gold double doors pushed up clouds of dust as they closed with a whoosh behind Cateran.
Cateran found herself standing in the center of a round room. Six doors, in addition to the two that had just closed, led off this one chamber. Thin canary-yellow piping outlined thick, sky-blue stripes radiating from a round patch of blue on the floor in the center of the room. Inside the blue circle were four dots over a curved line.
As she stood puzzling over the design in the floor, bear-like hands grasped Cateran’s wrists and lifted her from the ground as if she weighed nothing. Her assailant turned her around so she was facing him.
He was a huge, swarthy man. His height surpassed two meters and his chest alone was wider than seventy centimeters. Attired in black, the green jewel in the man’s turban immediately gave him away.
“Avez!” Cateran cried with delight once she realized her captor’s identity.
The giant pulled her forward so she could kiss his cheek. Setting Cateran on the ground once again, Avez said solemnly in his usual broken speech, “You come learn fight defend.”
“Is that why I’m here?” Cateran questioned. “I’m not exactly sure how I got here.”
“Trials and hardships for five times you must endure,” Avez informed Cateran in his oddly accented manner. “Once inside temple, you pass the tests or you remain here forever.”
Gulping, Cateran said, “No pressure, huh?”
“Once you have completed all the tests, you may come and go as you please in order to practise your arts so you continue to stay sharp and improve.”
A puzzled expression swept over Cateran’s face. “That was pretty clear speech, Avez.” She leaned forward and cocked her head slightly toward him. “Or are you really Avez?”
“Avez, yes. Avez, no,” the giant replied. “Bits of Avez, but not all Avez. This is a place where skills are learned and tested. It is important for combatants to experience a wide range of emotional, as well as physical, trials in order to develop a more rounded fighting style. To unlock the first door, you must get past me. As this is our first match, I shall merely defend.”
Running forward, Cateran sprang at Avez. Rebounding off the man’s chest sent her high into the air. She came crashing down on his shoulders as he was trying to recover from her initial blow. Bouncing her behind off Avez’s face allowed Cateran to become vertical once again.
Avez was not moving. Suddenly, his body was encased in a sheath of light. The light grew rapidly smaller until it was no more.
Subtle squeaking and the slight sound of metal on metal caught Cateran’s ears. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed one of the doors opening.
From beyond the smoky veil enshrouding the open doorway, a tall shadowy figure appeared. A dark, flowing cloak matched equally dark glasses, making the figure instantly recognizable to Cateran.
“Vex!” Cateran cried and started to move toward her friend. Mid-stride, she stopped to ask, “Or are you Vex? Wait. Don’t tell me. ‘Parts of Vex, but not all Vex’.”
“What are you talking about, Cat? Where are we?” Vexyna was confounded.
“Yeah! All Vex!” Cateran exclaimed as she rushed forward to hug Vexyna.
“Okay, okay. Easy does it,” Vexyna said with slight agitation.
“I don’t suppose you have anything to eat,” Cateran casually inquired.
“I…” Vexyna began to answer when she was distracted by something moving in her peripheral vision.
Both girls were stunned as they turned around to gaze at their surroundings. Somehow, they had been shifted into the doorway of one of the chambers.
Three-meter-high sky-blue doors trimmed with brilliantly yellow gold closed smoothly behind the two girls as they entered the chamber. Inside the doors, the girls found themselves in a circular room with four stone columns in the center. At the end of the room, opposite the door, lay wide red carpeting leading up three stone steps to a wide throne.
Upon this throne sat a man two and a half meters tall. He was less than half a meter wide. He rose from the throne and advanced towards the girls while holding his arms above him and shouting, “Tap into their primal sources. Drain away their vital forces.”
Fountains of red light overflowed from the man’s upturned palms and washed over the two girls.
Momentarily stunned by the man’s actions, Cateran was the first away. She leaped for the man and attempted to flatten his chest with her feet. Amazingly, she passed right through him.
Landing somewhat abruptly on the other side of the man, Cateran turned and gave Vexyna a stunned looked.
Vexyna returned the look. She could feel herself growing weaker. It was starting to get hard for her to stand.
Cateran decided to try her luck while she was still behind the man. Balling herself up, she thrust herself at the backs of his knees, but once again passed right through him.
Reaching down swiftly, the man seized Cateran and threw her past Vexyna.
“He seems solid enough when he wants to be,” Vexyna commented over her shoulder to Cateran, who was now slumped against one wall.
After slowly rising from where she had been thrown, Cateran made her way back beside Vexyna.
“I’m not sure how we’re supposed to fight this guy if we can’t touch him.”
“I’m feeling really tired,” Cateran told Vexyna. “What’s that red light doing to us?”
“I think it’s somehow draining us or binding us. It could also be what’s causing some form of spatial disturbance,” Vexyna offered.
“Special detergent?” Cateran blinked at Vexyna.
“Spatial disturbance,” Vexyna corrected. “He’s making it so things aren’t where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there.”
Blank eyes blinked at Vexyna as Cateran queried, “Where do you come up with these words?”
“I’m not sure,” confessed Vexyna. “Sometimes it feels like I know things I shouldn’t. It’s like I have a vast reservoir of knowledge I didn’t personally collect. It’s weird.”
“But useful!” Cateran snapped back to full awareness. “So you think he’s using magic?” she finally asked.
“Possibly,” Vexyna said cautiously. “Maybe we should try fighting magic with magic.”
“What do you mean, ‘we’?”
“I only have these scrolls I received from Alexdander. They may contain some form of attack or binding spells.”
From her cloak, Vexyna produced three scrolls and tried to choose between them. She waved her hand slowly over each of the parchments until finally coming to rest on the one she held on the far right. Replacing the other two, she unrolled the remaining scroll.
The words on the scroll in Vexyna’s hands were unreadable. ‘Relax’, she heard Alexdander say in a memory in her mind. ‘Focus on the task at hand and let everything else find its own place’.
Cl
osing her eyes, Vexyna banished all thoughts save her concern for Cateran’s safety. Re-opening her eyes, she gazed at the words on the scroll and read with confidence, “What matters not does not matter. From the former to the latter.”
A flame of green light shot up to surround the man. The red light from his palms exploded into nothingness as he staggered back towards the throne.
Taking three deep breaths, Cateran once again propelled herself towards the man. One, two, three; Cateran’s feet beat out a quick rhythm across the ground and up the man’s chest. Kicking him twice more in the head, she continued her airborne journey up and around before landing squarely on both feet with her back to him.
Charging forward to counter-balance the impact that had sent him reeling, the stick-man was not prepared for the tiny legs that scissored his and forced an introduction of his face to the floor. Angrily, he spat at the girls as his form began to decay before their eyes, “Heed a dying man’s last mumble. Cause this chamber now to crumble.” Flesh and fabric dissolved away and the man was gone.
The room shuddered around the girls. Pieces of the ceiling gave way and came crashing down.
Flashing over to the doors, Cateran yelled to Vexyna, “We’re locked in. Any ideas?”
Scanning the room, Vexyna replied, “I can’t see any other exits.”
“What are we gonna go?”
“Maybe I can find spell that’ll open the door,” Vexyna suggested as she once again reached for the scrolls in her cloak. This time, she produced only one. Around her, the walls were sliding down in tiny sheets and the columns looked as though they could buckle at any time. Amidst the chaos, Vexyna stood calmly with her eyes closed. Vexyna focused her mind on her will to protect herself and Cateran. Eyes that stared almost blankly opened to absorb the words upon the parchment and lead-thin lips to utter firmly, “To rock and metal we’ll not yield. Strong and true is our magic shield.”
A dome of blue light cascaded over the girls, deflecting the falling pieces of stone. Sparkles of light glistened in the air as the shield dissipated with the ending of the onslaught.
Standing unscathed amongst the rubble, Vexyna commented, “We sure know how to bring down the house, don’t we?”
“You had to say it, didn’t you?” Cateran shot back. She was about to say more when the doors to the chamber opened.
The girls picked their way through the debris and made their way toward the doors.
“By the way, how did you get here?” Cateran asked.
“Funny thing,” Vexyna started to say as they passed through the doorway. Opening her eyes after just one blink, she found herself again in the room with Alexdander. “All this sudden traveling tires a person after a while, you know?”
“Sometimes getting there isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be,” lazily imparted the large cat.
“What was that all about? Where is Cateran?”
“The Vag moppet is being put through her paces in the Battle Hall. In each of the chambers, she’ll be guided or aided by someone she knows. She, too, is being prepared for what is to come. I am going to leave you now. Go back upstairs and see your grandfather.” Air particles danced and glistened as Vexyna thought she could make out the glittering blue outline of Alexdander. The tracing of the cat said, “Fourth dimensional travel is a cat thing. Later, Nah.” Dissolving lines washed away the image.
“No, wait, Alexdander,” Vexyna cried out to the emptiness. With a sigh, she rose from her floor mat, exited the small room and headed towards the stairs toward the altar.
Chapter 15: Vexyna’s Awakening